The Best Way to Apply Stain on a Fence

Keep your new wood fence looking good over the years with a protective stain.

Every day, your home's wood fence gets battered by damaging sun rays, rot-inducing moisture and other destructive elements. A wood stain helps create a protective barrier that keeps your fence looking beautiful over the years. In general, fence stains get categorized as either semi-transparent, penetrating stains or solid-color stains, depending on the level of pigment in the solution. Whatever type of stain you choose, using the right method means you apply it correctly so that it lasts as long as possible.

Picking the Right Time

If you're hoping to stain a wood fence you've just built, wait at least three weeks. That recommendation comes from Los Angeles-based fence builder Peter Kirsch-Korff, whose fence designs have been featured on HGTV. On his website, Kirsch-Korff explains that this waiting period allows the wood to "settle" into its new environment, noting that it also gives the new wood time to open its pores so your stain sinks in more effectively. Regardless of the age of your fence, the best time to apply stain is in the morning or late afternoon on a cloudy day. Wait for a day when it hasn't rained for 24 hours and no further rain is in the forecast for the next 24 hours.

Choosing the Tools

When it comes to applying a stain to a fence, you have the choice of brushes, rollers or pads. For the best results with a brush, pick a staining brush that's 4 or 5 inches wide. If you opt for a pad, the best type for fence staining is a pad with a fluffy nap, such as the pads that are sometimes labeled for use on decks. Finally, if you're using a roller, any paint roller will do. The wider the roller, the heavier it will be. Before buying one, hold it in your hand and practice moving it up and down in the air. You want one that's light enough that it's not hard for you to hold for an extended period.

Preparing the Fence

Older wood fences may have mold, mildew, dirt and other debris on them that may affect how well the wood absorbs the wood stain. If so, clean the fence a couple of days before you plan to stain it. Wearing protective gear, such as rubber gloves and protective goggles, mix 1 part household bleach with 3 parts water in a plastic bucket and scrub your fence with this solution. Then, rinse the fence with a garden hose to remove all traces of the solution. After cleaning your fence, lay a sheet of plastic, canvas or cardboard under the fence to protect underlying concrete, grass or plants from stain drips.

Applying the Stain

If the weather is still dry, begin staining your clean fence. Using the pad, brush or roller, dip it into the wood stain then apply it to your fence in an event coat, working your way from one fence board to the next. Focus on painting from the top of the fence to the bottom to prevent uneven dripping. Follow any product-specific guidelines on the label of the wood stain you purchased, as thickness and coat requirements vary by manufacturer. In most cases, solid-color stains are like traditional paint and need just one coat to protect your fence. Semi-transparent penetrating stains often need two coats, with the second coat applied approximately an hour after the first coat.